Travel tie rack



Oct. 4, 1966 W. v. HAGGERTY 3,276,601

TRAVEL TIE RACK Filed March 5, 1965 INVEN TOR. WILLIAM V. HAGGERTY United States Patent 3,276,601 TRAVEL TIE RACK William V. Haggerty, 207 Dewitt Road, Syracuse, N.Y. Filed Mar. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 437,485 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-119) This invention relates to a tie rack for holding ties neatly arranged whether hung from a support or laid flat in luggage.

Even expensive modern fitted -luggage makes no provision for mens ties other than providing a pocket in which they can be folded. When overnight stops are made in traveling, the ties must be unpacked and then laboriously repacked when the traveler moves on.

The principal object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a tie rack which maybe either suspended from a support or laid flat in luggage and provided with means for keeping the ties neatly arranged and folded flat in either case.

Another important object is to provide a tie rack which, with ties neatly secured thereon, maybe hung from a coathanger whether the hanger is part of fitted luggage or a closet hanger.

A further object is to provide a tie rack with a dust cover to protect the ties when they are hung in a closet and keep the ties smooth and folded flat when they are laid flat in luggage. n

Other objects and advantages wi-ll become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevational view of a rack according to the invention suspended from an ordinary wire coathanger;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the rack of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of the rod portion shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of the tie spacers shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged front elevational view of another tie spacer of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary front elevational view, similar to FIGURE 1, showing the -rack suspended from a luggage coathanger.

The tie rack 10 comprises a rod 11 and a dust cover envelope 12 and is adapted to maintain the tie 12 folded twice over the rod as `best seen in FIGURES 1 and 3.

The rod 11 is preferably formed from a metallic -rod or tubular core 14 covered with a plastic or rubbery outer coating 15 to provide frictional engagement lbetween tie and rod. A plurality of protrusions forming tie spacers 16 project in a linearly spaced row from the rod l1. In a rack designed to hang from a coathanger and also to fit in a small suitcase, 5 spacers have been found to adequately separate the ties in the proper manner.

The two spacers 16a, at either end of rod 11, as best seen in FIGURE 6, are provided with a narrow slot 17 therethrough providing, above the slot, a bridge portion 18 between the ends of the spacer, the `bridge being comparatively thin, as shown in FIGURE 3 lfor reasons which will become apparent. Through the slot 17, as best seen in FIGURE 3, is passed the lower loop 20a of a strap fastener 20. One end of the upper loop 20b of the strap 20 is loosely secured by 'a rivet 21 to both ends of loop 18a. The other end of loop 20b is provided with a snap fastener 22, which may be engaged with a cooperating fastener 23 at one end of the rivet 21 to secure the rack 10 ICC to the cross bar of a wire coathanger 24 as seen in FIG- URE 1.

The two loops of strap 20 are joined by the single rivet 21 to provide a swivel for the strap adapting it to suspend the rack 10 from the upper sloped bar of a luggage hanger 24 as shown in FIGURE 9. Such luggage hangers .are usually provided where the small size of the bag makes the conservation of space an important factor.

Two other tie spaces 16b are pr-ovided with a transverse/ly extending slots 25 therethrough, as best seen in FIGURES 7 and 8. A hole 26 through each spacer from slot 25 upward provides means for suspending the rack 10 from ya pair of hooked screws 27, which may be provided so that the rack may be removably secured to a closet `door when the rack is not used for traveling.

The evelope 12 is preferably made from a transparent or translucent plastic material of substantial weight and strength which also has qualities of frictional engagement 'with the textile materials commonly used in making ties.

Any llexi'ble sheet material may be used, however.

The material extends transversely from a selvaged or hemmed edge 28, FIGURES 1 and 4, lalong the front side of rod 11 around one end and the other side of the rod, around the other end and 'back along the front side again past the edge 28, and terminates in another selvage or hemmed edge 29. An opening at the front of the envelope, at 29, is thus provided for access to the ties within.

At the top of the envelope the edges are hemmed along a seam 30, holes or openings 31 being provided in the hem so that the spacers 16 can project therethrough, as best seen in FIGURE 4. Preferably, the fold in the envelope lat either end of the rod 11 is hemmed or thermally Welded into a seam 32 to `hold the back and front of the envelope together, as far as possible, flat against the ties within.

Three pairs of snaps 33, to fasten front and back of the envelope together, are provided adjacent the rod 11 so as to fasten this end of the envelope securely around rod 11 and the ties thereon when the rack 10 is laid flat in luggage.

Another three pairs of snaps 34 are provided near the other end of the envelope to hold the envelope against the ties. Each pair of snaps 33 and 34 are aligned with one or another of the spacers 16 so that the snaps assist in properly separating the ties and holding them flat when the rack is placed in a piece of luggage. The bottom of the envelope is preferably open Ibut may be seamed closed if desired.

The Eback of the envelope may be provided with pockets 35, for handkerchiefs or other articles, if desired, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when the rack 10 is suspended from a hanger, such as the wire hanger 24 or the compact luggage hanger 24', the ties 13 hang fiat from the rod 11 separated by the spacers 16. Straps 20 being secured to the spacers 16a, the :spacers lare supported so as to project upward and the envelope 12 is held by its own weight down against the ties holding them securely in place.

When the lrack is placed in luggage, either flat or from a luggage hanger 24', the snaps 33 and 34 are fastened and the former hold the rod 11 firmly in place in the er1- velope with the envelope holding the ties in place on the rod. Snaps 34 hold the ties separated and, by holding the envelope together, hold the ties flat.

When packing or unpacking all the ties may be moved at once and do not lhave to be separately moved each time. The envelope protects the ties when hanging and holds the ties fiat and neatly arranged when packed.

The hooks 27 are provided so that, if desired, the rack 10 may be used as a permanent rack properly spaced from the wall or closet door where the hooks are secured.

The proportions of the rack, as seen by comparison with the hanger 24, are such as to accommodate four ties doubly folded, or eight ties if two ties, one on top of the other, are folded in each space between spacers. The ties are held in place and neatly separated by separators 16 and snaps 33 and 34. The length of envelope 12, being only slightly longer than its width, is long enough to cover the folded ties and is short enough to t at in any luggage piece provided with a coathanger, whether the coat on the hanger is required to be doubled over or not.

As will be apparent to those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiment disclosed is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than re strictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tie rack for traveling, comprising a rod adapted to be horizontally disposed suspended from a support or laid fiat in luggage for securing in neat arrangement ties adapted to be folded over the rod, a plurality of projecting tie spacers -linearly disposed at spaced intervals along the rod, separable securing means connected to at least two of the spacers for removably attaching the rod to a support and thereby supporting the spacers projecting up. wardly, and a flexible sheet material envelope enclosing the rod and ties adapted to be held thereon, the envelope having a seam along one end thereof, the seam having holes therealong through which the spacers project, the envelope having an access opening to ties and having a plurality of snap means aligned with the spacers for fas- 3 tening the sides of the envelope together for securing the rod within the envelope against the seam and for securing ties at and separated in the envelope when the rack is laid Hat.

2. A tie rack adapted to -alternately ybe suspended from a coathanger or placed at in luggage, comprising: a rod adapted to lbe horizontally disposed for holding ties folded over the rod, a plurality of projecting tie spacers linearly disposed at equal intervals along the rod, strap means connected to at least two spacers for removably securing the rod on the hanger and thereby supporting the spacers to project upwardly, a dust cover envelope of exible sheet material enclosing the rod therein and supported on the rod over ties adapted to be folded thereover, the envelope having an access opening therein to ties and having a seam along one end thereof, the searn having openings therealong through which the spacers project, and a plurality of pairs of cooperating snap fasteners means on the envelope, each pair longitudinally aligned with a spacer for removably holding the sides of the envelope together between ties thereby securing the end of the envelope around the rod and securing ties in position flat within the envelope, whereby the rack may be suspended with the envelope draped fromthe rod and also may be removed and placed flat in a piece of luggage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,033,761 3/1936 Engel 206-7 2,099,507 ll/l937 Wright 211-106 2,442,364 6/ 1948 Kraft 206-7 2,659,643 i 11/1953 Friesz 312-4 2,683,070 7/1954 Upchurch 312-4 2,974,780 3/1961 ODonovan 206-7 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TIE RACK FOR TRAVELING, COMPRISING A ROD ADAPTED TO BE HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SUSPENDED FROM A SUPPORT OR LAID FLAT IN LUGGAGE FOR SECURING THE NEAT ARRANGEMENT TIES ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED OVER THE ROD, A PLURALITY OF PROJECTING TIE SPACERS LINEARLY DISPOSED AT SPACED INTERVALS ALONG THE ROD, SEPARABLE SECURING MEANS CONNECTED TO AT LEAST TWO OF THE SPACERS FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING THE ROD TO A SUPPORT AND THEREBY SUPPORTING THE SPACERS PROJECTING UPWARDLY, AND A FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL ENVELOPE ENCLOSING THE ROD AND TIES ADAPTED TO BE HELD THEREON, THE ENVELOPE HAVING A SEAM ALONG ONE END THEREOF, THE SEAM HAVING HOLES THEREALONG THROUGH WHICH THE SPACERS PROJECT, THE ENVELOPE HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING TO TIES AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF SNAP MEANS ALIGNED WITH THE SPACERS FOR FASTENING THE SIDES OF THE ENVELOPE TOGETHER FOR SECURING THE ROD WITHIN THE ENVELOPE AGAINST THE SEAM AND FOR SECURING TIES FLAT AND SEPARATED IN THE ENVELOPE WHEN THE RACK IS LAID FLAT. 